JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - UMES withstood a late comeback attempt by the Ospreys to defeat North Florida 54-52, earning its first road win of the year. The Lady Hawks go to 3-5 while North Florida falls to 3-7.

UMES finishes the Lady Osprey Holiday Tournament at 1-1 after a defeat to Campbell and a win over North Florida. Campbell finished 2-0 with wins over UMES and Jacksonville State.

Karona Roach (Bear, Del.) led UMES with 19 points in this contest. She earned a place on the All-Tournament Team after combining for 37 points in the two games this weekend.

UNF got an early 8-2 lead in the opening three minutes. Three different Lady Hawks contributed to a 7-0 counter run as UMES took a 9-8 advantage.

After North Florida took back the lead on a Chandler Merkerson layup, a Taylor Thompson (Chapel Hill, N.C.) jumper and Roach basket pur UMES back ahead 13-10 seven minutes in.

Both sides went back and forth when at 22-20 UMES, Shawnee Sweeney (Colonial Heights, Va.) hit a corner three, followed up by a Thompson layup to give the Lady Hawks a seven-point lead at the 4:30 mark.

In the closing minutes of the half, Sha-Kiyla Finney (Portsmouth, Va.) and Roach each hit threes as UMES led 35-25 at the break.

Alexis Udoji (Randolph, Mass.) started the second half with a layup, later adding a free throw make.

With 15:48 left to play, UMES led 38-29. The Lady Hawks did not allow UNF to score for over seven-and-a-half minutes from that point, using two Roach baskets and five points from Finney to build their lead to 47-29 with 9:38 to go. UNF got back within nine with a 9-0 run, but two free throws from Jessica Long (Fort Washington, Md.) and a bucket and one from Roach at the final media timeout pushed UMES up 52-38 with 3:40 left in the half.

North Florida used the full court press to force turnovers and get to within one basket by game's end, but the UMES defense held in the final possession. Shayla Wilson missed a layup in the final seconds as UMES held on to win 54-52.

Roach led UMES in points scored for the sixth time this season, finishing with 19, one short of a career-high, adding five boards. With a 7-8 day from the free throw line, Long concluded with 10 points. Finney concluded with eight points, six rebounds and three steals.

Jadhken Kerr led the Ospreys with 11 points, also contributing six rebounds and four steals. Merkerson had a near double double with nine points and nine boards.

UMES returns home to take on the Eagles of American on Tuesday for a 6 p.m. game at the Hytche Athletic Center.